A Nagoya hospital started the first clinical trials in regenerative medicine on patients in Japan with the skin condition known as vitiligo, which is characterized by patches of skin losing their pigmentation over time.
Starting in July, Nagoya City University Hospital has been cultivating skin cells and grafting the resultant epidermal cell sheets to affected areas of the patients. The hospital is trying to determine the efficacy of the transplants and aiming to have the treatments covered under medical insurance.
The goal is to improve the quality of life of patients who might suffer psychological stress or social stigmatization as a result of the condition, in which white patches appear on the skin.